Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Adaptive
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-09
2002-03-05
Ngo, Ricky (Department: 2664)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Adaptive
C370S410000, C379S229000, C709S230000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06353620
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to communication establishment in communication networks and, in particular, to a system and method for minimizing the number of messages transmitted to establish a communication in telecommunications networks.
2. Description of Related Art
Mobile wireless communication is becoming increasingly important for safety, convenience, and simply enjoyment. One prominent mobile communication option is cellular communication. Cellular phones, for instance, can be found in cars, briefcases, purses, and even pockets. To maximize the enjoyment of cellular phones, however, cellular systems must be optimized.
Cellular systems are composed of not only wireless, but also wireline, communication channels. Wireline communication channels include connections both within the cellular network and those that extend beyond the cellular network to connect to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Due to the prominence of the wireline portions of the cellular network, optimizing cellular systems requires efficient utilization of the wireline connections. One measure of efficiency is cost minimization, so a system and method that reduces the cost of cellular service improves efficiency.
It should be understood that the various nodes in wireline networks are interlinked. The links enable networks as a whole and the individual nodes to communicate with one another. Nodes can be, in a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network for example, well-known components according to the GSM standard such as a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC), a Home Location Register (HLR), or a Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR). Communication between nodes within the telecommunications system is preferably accomplished through Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) protocols, as is understood to those skilled in the art. One application protocol for use in mobile SS7 networks is the Mobile Application Part (MAP). MAP is responsible for providing mobility services such as Location Management Services and Subscriber Management Services.
The MAP protocol standard, like most standards, has evolved since its inception. Unfortunately, not all nodes employing SS7 technology are immediately updated with the latest MAP protocols. It is generally thought that the most advanced protocol in common between two communicating nodes should be used in an inter-nodal communication since this provides the greatest functionality and communication features. To that end, a first node may attempt to communicate with a second node with a more recent, e.g., a higher numbered, version than the second node can understand, an example of which is shown in FIG.
1
.
With reference now to
FIG. 1
, a sequence diagram, generally designated by the reference numeral
100
, is illustrated. The sequence diagram
100
represents a negotiation between two GSM network nodes utilizing MAP protocol. A negotiation typically begins a communication between the two nodes and is designed to establish the highest, mutually-understood MAP version level. Each communication corresponds to a dialogue type, otherwise known as an Application Context (AC) when using MAP.
In
FIG. 1
, for example, a sender
110
is a node that has been updated to a third protocol version and is trying to communicate with a receiver
120
, which only understands a second, older protocol version. In conventional systems, the sender
110
attempts to start the communication with a message
130
using the aforementioned third protocol version of the communication program (Protocol #3). The receiver
120
, however, understanding only the second protocol version of MAP (Protocol #2) and no higher, responds with a message
140
instructing the sender
110
to stop the communication because the message
130
was not understood.
With respect to the message
140
that is transmitted from the receiver
120
to the sender
110
, the contents of the message
140
explicitly inform the sender
110
that the desired communication is only supported in the second protocol version. Hence, the sender
110
then falls-back to the second protocol version and reattempts to start the desired communication using the second protocol version in a message
150
, i.e., Protocol #2 in this example. The receiver
120
, configured for this second protocol version, understands the attempt and responds accordingly with a message
160
permitting the desired communication to continue with the second protocol version.
Alternatively, the receiver
120
may only understand the first protocol version of MAP (Protocol #1). In this instance, the message
140
implicitly informs the sender
110
that only the first protocol version is supported. The message
140
essentially responds by relaying that it does not understand
130
at all. The sender
110
can then determine implicitly that only the first protocol version is supported. Thus, the sender
110
then falls-back to the first protocol version, i.e., the oldest or most basic version, and reattempts to start the desired communication using the first protocol version (Protocol #1) in the message
150
. The receiver
120
then responds with the message
160
permitting the desired communication to continue with the first protocol version.
Although messages in the MAP protocol provide either an explicit or an implicit indication of the highest protocol version that is understood by the receiving node, this is not true for all protocols. With other protocols, the fall-back procedure may be sequential, e.g., from the third to the second to the first version, because no indication of the highest understood protocol version is provided by the receiving node. Hence, a falling-back procedure can require from one exchange, e.g., with MAP as described above, to a multiple of exchanges, e.g., where the protocol version level is sequentially reduced until compatibility is attained.
These falling-back procedures, although simple to implement, are unfortunately an uneconomical usage of network resources. Each message transaction
130
-
160
transmitted over the network consumes network bandwidth and therefore costs the cellular provider, which costs are naturally passed on to the cellular user. As is understood in the art, each communication over the network is charged by the network provider at a certain price per octet (byte) of data transmitted. Hence, reducing the number of data exchanges and time required to establish an internodal communication saves money. A system and method that can so reduce the number of typical fall-backs is, accordingly, desired.
It should further be understood that the situation illustrated in
FIG. 1
is exacerbated as more updates of the MAP or other protocol become extant and the updates are issued more frequently. Furthermore, not only do different versions, i.e., major revisions of the standard, exist, but many incompatible variations, e.g., smaller changes to or enhancements of a major standard within a given Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)) also permeate cellular networks. A variation (which may be realized by a protocol extension of a particular MAP version dialogue type) on one of the versions is typically implemented within one vendor's network, which is usually updated all at once; nevertheless, multiple variations can cause incompatibilities. It would, therefore, be advantageous to utilize a system and method that can reduce the number of typical fall-backs by predicting the version (and even the variation) of MAP protocols capable of being used by a given node or entire PLMN for a given dialogue type.
The present invention addresses these (and other) deficiencies in conventional systems and methods by achieving the following (and other) objects of the invention:
A first object of the present invention is to reduce the number of communications required to negotiate between two nodes at a mutually-understood protocol level.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce the number
Reichelt Martin
Sallberg Krister
Ericsson Inc.
Jenkens & Gilchrist P.C.
Ngo Ricky
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